Corn Planting: How Deep Are You Planting Your Seed?

Common Planting Depths
Many factors are needed to be considered while planting a corn
crop. One of those factors is planting seed at the right depth. A
common principle of planting depth is to place a seed deep
enough in the soil to reach adequate moisture for germination
and emergence. The most common corn planting depth is 1.5 to
2 inches. The depth can be slightly increased if the soil is
abnormally dry and warm, however, it is not generally advised
to place seed deeper than three inches. Planting deeper than
normal results in slower emergence with the increased
likelihood of problems such as crust formation after rainfall
before the plant has emerged from the ground.

Shallow Planting: Things to consider

Modern cultivating equipment allow to have much better control

on planting depths and are equipped with better closing systems

than older machinery. This makes it appealing for growers to try

shallower planting depths. Corn fields planted at shallower

depth usually result in poor and uneven emergence which can

have potential negative effects on grain yield. Earlier planting

may be appropriate for shallower seed depth because the soil

warms-up faster on the surface. Surface residue can also play a

role in deciding the seeding depth. If the field has good residue

cover, the depth can be shallower than normal as the soil warms

up slower in high residue and no till systems. In any case

reducing seeding depth below 1.25 inches is not recommended.

Seeds that are planted shallower than recommended form nodal

roots that are very close to the surface and may not develop

proper root growth later in the season causing severe stress on

the growing plant.

THE HISTORY OF EARTH DAY

Each year, Earth Day—April 22—marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Earth Day Today

As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focused on global warming and a push for clean energy. With 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries reaching out to hundreds of millions of people, Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. Earth Day 2000 used the power of the Internet to organize activists, but also featured a drum chain that traveled from village to village in Gabon, Africa. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC for a First Amendment Rally. Earth Day 2000 sent world leaders the loud and clear message that citizens around the world wanted quick and decisive action on global warming and clean energy.

Much like 1970, Earth Day 2010 came at a time of great challenge for the environmental community. Climate change deniers, well-funded oil lobbyists, reticent politicians, a disinterested public, and a divided environmental community all contributed to the narrative—cynicism versus activism. Despite these challenges, Earth Day prevailed and Earth Day Network reestablished Earth Day as a relevant, powerful focal point. Earth Day Network brought 250,000 people to the National Mall for a Climate Rally, launched the world’s largest environmental service project—A Billion Acts of Green®–introduced a global tree planting initiative that has since grown into The Canopy Project, and engaged 22,000 partners in 192 countries in observing Earth Day.

Earth Day had reached into its current status as the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year, and a day of action that changes human behavior and provokes policy changes.

Today, the fight for a clean environment continues with increasing urgency, as the ravages of climate change become more manifest every day. We invite you to be a part of Earth Day and help write many more chapters—struggles and victories—into the Earth Day book.


Stay tuned! 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. In honor of this milestone, Earth Day Network is preparing to announce an ambitious set of goals to shape the future we need.

WONDERFUL HEALTH BENEFITS OF SOY MILK

Soy milk, which is made from soaking, grinding and boiling soy beans with water, is a very nutritious drink. Soy is naturally high in essential fatty acids, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients provide energy and keep your body functioning at its optimum level. Below are the six most important health benefits you can acquire from drinking soy milk.
1. Improve Lipid Profile
The most important attribute of soy milk is its ability to improve your blood lipid profile. Unlike dairy milk, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, soy milk fat is mostly unsaturated with zero cholesterol. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in soy can inhibit the transport of cholesterol into your blood stream. Studies have shown that regular intake of soy can significantly lower you blood concentrations of triglyceride and low density lipoproteins (LDL) and raise the level of high density lipoproteins (HDL). This combined effect makes soy milk an ideal drink if you have high cholesterol or have a family history of coronary heart diseases.
2. Strengthen Blood Vessel Integrity
The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as the powerful phyto-antioxidants in soy can effectively protect your blood vessels from lesions and hemorrhage. These compounds bind to the blood vessel lining and defend your lining cells from free radical attacks and cholesterol deposits. The binding of these nutrients also improve the fluidity and flexibility of your blood vessels so that they are much more resilient to blood pressure changes.
3. Promote Weight Loss
Soy milk is naturally lower in sugar content than regular milk. Cow’s milk has about 12 grams of sugar per cup as opposed to only 7 grams in soy milk. This is why a cup of whole soy milk has only 80 calories, which is the equivalent of skim milk. In addition, the monounsaturated fatty acid in soy milk can inhibit your intestinal absorption of fat, which is another great advantage for weight loss. Drinking soy milk also gives you an extra dose of fiber, keeping your feeling fuller for longer time.
4. Prevent Prostate Cancer
Soy milk is a rich source of phytoestrogen, a unique plant hormone that can inhibit the production of testosterone in men. Reduced testosterone levels can significantly cut the risk of prostate cancer. Studies have shown that men who eat a soy-rich diet are less likely  to develop prostate hypertrophy or prostate cancer.
5. Prevent Postmenopausal Syndromes
During menopause, a woman’s natural production of estrogen drops to a minimum. The sudden reduction of estrogen creates a number of health problems for postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women have higher risks of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. They are also more vulnerable to depression, mood swings, insomnia and other psychological disorders. The phytoestrogen in soy is an effective estrogen replacement. Regular intake of soy is a great way to prevent and alleviate these postmenopausal syndromes.
6. Prevent Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is another age and hormone related disease. The phytoestrogen in soy can help accelerate calcium absorption by your body and prevent the loss of bone mass. For the maximum benefit, make sure to buy the soy milk that is fortified with extra calcium and vitamin D.
Source: Agronigeria

FREE SCHOOL MEALS MUST COME FROM OUR FARMS

The Federal Government has been urged to ensure that the supply of food for the proposed free school meals must be from Nigerian farms.

This call was made by the  Country Director, Synergos Nigeria, Mr. Adewale Ajadi in an exclusive chat with him in Lagos.

“I love the fact that government might eventually do these school meals but they should make sure the food that goes to schools are from our farms and are nutritionally sound. Let’s go to research institutes and get to know what these foods can provide and the value chain in terms of food then what do we do with the bye-products,” Ajadi noted.

He noted that this will ensure we make good use of the God-given resources embedded in our nation.

The free school meals was promised by the President Buhari-led administration for pupils of schools across the federation.

Agriculture & rural development

Agriculture and rural development are essential to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by half by 2016.
Three in four poor people in developing countries live on the countryside. Most of them depend directly or indirectly from agriculture to survive. Women play an important role in food production, in food processing and in the commercialisation of food. Agricultural development can make a difference in the lives of a billion of poor people, mainly of women, and can contribute to both economic growth and to poverty reduction and food security.
Climate change will have a far-reaching impact on agriculture and mainly hit the poor. There is an urgent need for measures to reduce the impact on crop yields. On the other hand, agriculture also has a huge potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if the right agricultural practices are used.

Agric info.

Now is the time to invest in tomato if you live in Kano or it's environ, as a processing factory that can mop up 1200 metric tons per day just setup around you.
Do you know Ghana export tomatoes into Nigeria to make up for shortfall? Consider investment in tomato farming, it is profitableltivation can never be a lose, Pepper is planted & harvested in three months, giving you considerable profit in a short time.
Pepper is consumed by all Nigerian making it a best seller in the market; an investment in pepper farming will always be profitable with the right practices. The planting season for the year has started! You can optimize the earnings from your farm by planting vegetable like ewedu or spinach with maize.

Agric info...

Being a part of a farmers co-operative or association closest to you increases your chances on accessing agric funds. Join one closest to you. world bank is set to spend $500m on irrigation projects in Nigeria.
World bank is helping Lagos farmers to improve packaging and marketing of their farm produce. Ask your local association for more information

Encouraging Youths in Agriculture

It is important for us to get our youths back to the landland.

If our youths are the leaders of tomorrow, they must also appreciate the place of agriculture in our national development. Our ageing peasant farmers cannot adapt to modern agriculture methods any more. We expect our youths to take over for their own sake and the sake of our country. That is the reason why youths in Nigerian should stand up to the task now, i am optimistic they will be courageous and embrace agriculture as a full time business to make Nigerian a better place again.

World Bank to establish agric. equipment centres for cassava farmers

Are you a cassava farmer, or planning to be one here is an opportunity for you to make it right.

Dr Adetunji Oredipe, Senior Agricultural Economist with the World Bank on Tuesday said the bank would establish equipment hiring enterprise centres for cassava farmers in Kogi to encourage mechanisation.
Oredipe disclosed this in Lokoja when he led a Task Team on monitoring visit to FADAMA III Additional Financing project sites in the state.
He said the Fadama Additional Financing project had the mandate of working with cassava farmers in the state to boost production and supply of raw materials to processing plants with particular emphasis on cassava industries.
The economist said that as part of key activities of the Additional Financing, the World Bank aimed to make mechanisation easier for farmers by enhancing their accessibility to equipment through the centres.
He added that “we also have provision for key infrastructure that will enable our cassava farmers to be able to produce enough food, just as we are going to support high quality inputs.
“We are also going to support capacity building because if people are in business and don’t know the tenets of business like simple issues of record keeping, it will be disastrous.
“All of these will be covered and we will also teach them how to remain together as a group and the advantages of social networking.’’
Oredipe said the body intended to engage scientists as advisory services consultants to work on the fields with the farmers to boost their yields and enable the attainment of the goals of the project within its lifespan.
He commended Kogi Government for being one of the first to pay its counterpart contribution for the project in 2014 and urged the state to pay its 2015 obligation arrears.
The payment, he said, would enable the state to fully draw down on the 20 million U.S. Dollars set aside for it.
The agricultural economist said the monitoring visit would among others, enable the team to assess the level of implementation of the agriculture work plan and status of activities on the fields.

Oredipe noted that “as the end of the exercise, we will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with the project officers on how best to improve on what we are doing and foster new relationships in terms of how to move the project forward.’’

Ebonyi records first Avian Influenza case

Ebonyi has recorded its first case of Avian Influenza infection, as confirmed by the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Uchenna Orji.
Orji confirmed the virus’s detection on Sunday while interacting with newsmen who visited the affected poultry farm at Ugwuachara area of Abakaliki.
According to him, the attention of his ministry was drawn to the development, following massive death of birds at the farm.
“Officials of the state veterinary services took the sample of a bird’s carcass to a research institute in Jos, where it was confirmed that the birds died from the H5NI strains of the Avian Influenza.
“I have directed the veterinary department of the ministry to isolate the farm and take inventory of all poultry and ancillary farms in the state.
“We will also ensure sustained enlightenment on the influenza to educate the public on precautionary measures to take,” he said.
Reacting, the Director of Veterinary Services and Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Ibiam Okoro, said that efforts had been intensified to contain the possible spread of the virus.
“The strain detected in the farm was only transmissible from animal to animal. Poultry farmers and the people are warned against the sale or consumption of sick or dead chicken,” he said.
The Avian Influenza Control Project Desk Officer in the state, Dr Rita Okoro, said that the alarm raised by the affected farm owner, helped in checking the spread of the virus to other farms in the state.
One of the Supervisors of the farm, Miss Victoria Chukwu, told newsmen that the sudden–massive death of the birds aroused suspicion as they failed to respond to all treatment given to them.
“Fellow poultry farmers should exercise caution while the people should ensure that chicken and other poultry products are properly cooked before consumption,” she advised.
#copied

Agric info

Seedbed preparation is advisable for a profitable maize production; it minimizes soil erosion due to heavy wind and water. Protect your crop.

Nigeria Must Turn To Agriculture Now, Says Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has declared that given the reality of the global financial situation, the time has come for Nigerians to do more than pay mere lip service to agriculture, as crude oil and gas exports will no longer be sufficient as the country’s major revenue earner.

Buhari made the declaration at an audience with Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, the Nigerian-born President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President said: “It’s time to go back to the land. We must face the reality that the petroleum we had depended on for so long will no longer suffice. We campaigned heavily on agriculture, and we are ready to assist as many as want to go into agricultural ventures.”
The President pledged that his administration would cut short the long bureaucratic processes that Nigerian farmers had to go through to get any form of assistance from government.
He told the IFAD President that improvement of the productivity of farmers, dry season farming and creative ways to combat the shrinking of the Lake Chad would also receive the attention of his administration.
“There is so much to be done. We will try and articulate a programme and consult organisations like IFAD for advise,” Buhari said, adding that foreign exchange will be conserved for machinery and other items needed for production, “instead of using it to import things like toothpicks.”
Nwanze congratulated the President on his victory at the general elections and assured him that IFAD was ready to give all possible assistance to the Federal Government and Nigerian farmers to boost agricultural production in the country.
IFAD is an international organisation dedicated to addressing issues of agriculture and poverty alleviation. It was established in 1978 and has been collaborating with Nigeria for over 30 years.

Wheat for Peace

I believe that one new technology will change the face of northern Nigeria forever – and that technology is wheat.
Naturally, you will not think that Nigeria can produce wheat. Many people say that. But it’s the same thing many people said about telephones, because they were thinking landlines. Nobody thought so many Nigerians could have telephones, but now they do.
In the 1980s when Nigeria tried to produce wheat, circumstances that were not viable. They tried to introduce a temperate crop into a tropical environment, and the yield was less than 1 tons per hectare. You have no business producing wheat under that condition.
Today, because of a partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre and the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, [two of 15 non-profit organizations linked to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, we have succeeded in introducing tropical wheat.

Still on the interview with the minister of agriculture.

With an agenda that large, where do you start?
We started the GES – Growth Enhancement Strategy – as a way of ending forty years of corruption in the seed and fertilizer sector. The GES program is run in every single local government across the entire country. Since last year, eight million farmers collected seeds and fertilizers by the GES system, and that has allowed us to improve the food security of 40 million persons within farm households.

Phones for farmers
We reach our farmers directly by mobile phones to give allocations for seed and fertilizer subsidies. Last year [when the distribution of low-cost mobile phones to farmers began], people are asking me a lot of hot questions. “Are mobile phones what farmers need in Nigeria?” They said mobile phones would not do anything.
Well, they were wrong. In the modern age, the most powerful tool in the hand of a farmer is not a tractor – it is the mobile phone, because that phone allows farmers to check market-price information; it allows them to know about weather information; it allows them to get extension service; it allows them to get access to finance; it allows them to get access to micro-insurance; it allows them to get access to their farm inputs, as we have shown by the electronic wallets in Nigeria – an electronic wallet system that delivers vouchers for subsidized inputs to farmers. We know how much they are they getting, how much are they paying and how much our government is paying. With this ICT technology, we have made it into a transparent system. We have empowered farmers. We have cut out the corrupt middlemen from the system.
We have also given dignity back to our farmers. They don’t beg anybody today to get seeds and fertilizers – and they shouldn’t. The mobile phone is everything for the farmers of Nigeria today.
Nigeria is estimated to have 125 million cell phones, reaching 75 percent of the population. But they don’t reach everywhere, do they? And where they don’t reach may be where they’re most needed – by the poorest, most rural farmers.
Despite all the successes we are having with it, one of these infrastructural challenges is the penetration of mobile phones in rural areas. There are a number of our rural areas where you don’t have good mobile phone penetration- but also you don’t even have stability of a connection enough for you to make a transaction. So we started looking for new technologies, trying to innovate – asking how we can get around this problem.
#copied.

"Coutd"Agriculture Is Nigeria’s ‘New Oil’

Here is some of the citation from the  interview.(please note that it is a reported speach).

Agriculture as Nigeria’s new oil? Yes! I believe that the future millionaires and billionaires of Nigeria will come out of agriculture. Listen, if the business of food doesn’t pay, why are we spending all that money importing food? It pays! You can choose not to ride a car, you can go inside of a train – but you can’t choose not to eat. Nobody eats GDP. People eat food.
Don’t get me wrong; growth isimportant. We need a lot of economic growth, GDP growth. We’ve got to make sure that we have inclusive growth that carries millions of people out of poverty, and the way to have that is through an agricultural transformation that reaches the tens of millions of people at the bottom.
Agriculture has the power to create jobs where it matters, in the rural areas. If you have almost 70% of our population living in rural areas, the main source of livelihood for them is agriculture. That is why as a government we took a position that we must make agriculture work. We must make it a money-making enterprise for farmers, for small businesses, because it creates jobs massively at the bottom. Even a 1% increase in productivity of agriculture will give you more than four times reduction in poverty.
What we’re doing now is to make sure that we can produce enough food for ourselves; process our foods locally into what’s accepted by our consumers and that can compete with imports. Our population, 167 million people, should be eating a lot of what we are producing. That way we create jobs for ourselves, we will revive our rural economies and we create a future of hope and shared prosperity for millions of our youth in this country – and assure our national security.
#premium times news  paper

Agriculture Is Nigeria’s ‘New Oil’ and Can Curb Conflict

Akin Adesina , Minister of Agriculture for the Republic of Nigeria, is an agricultural economist with decades of experience working to make agriculture productive and profitable. His appointment three years ago was hailed as merit driven rather than political, especially by international agriculture and development specialists. But that didn’t protect his ambitious reform programme from initial widespread skepticism and critical media scrutiny at home.
AllAfrica’s Reed Kramer sat down with Minister Adesina on a Saturday morning, thethe 2nd of April,2016  in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, when he squeezed time from a packed schedule for a lengthy interview. From his early days in the job, he framed the goal of his wide-ranging initiatives around the idea of “inclusive growth” – which is the theme of the World Economic Forum’s annual Africa meeting in Abuja this month. The minister hails agriculture as Nigeria’s path to prosperity – in contrast to oil, which left most Nigerians in wretched poverty while social services crumbled and hunger mounted. And at a time when the country’s domestic peace seems increasingly fragile, he sees agriculture as a tool to curb conflict.
Last year AllAfrica asked a class of Nigerian school children if they wanted to be farmers, and they said, “No, because we don’t want to be poor!” On the other hand, oil has earned $50 billion or more a year and made a Nigerian elite fabulously wealthy. But you’ve said that agriculture is the new oil. Really?

Agric-info

Aflatoxin free maize command good price in the market, apply Aflasafe to maize farm 2 to 3 weeks before flowering at the rate of 10kg /ha to displace aflatoxin